The invention concerns an unbalance-compensating device for a weapons system, especially a heavy weapon, with an assembly that has the tube mounted on it, that pivots in the direction of elevation, and that is mounted on a trunnion in a stationary base, whereby the center of gravity of the pivoting assembly is outside the axis of rotation of the trunnion and wherein a torque that opposes the moment of unbalance is generated by at least one suspension mechanism.
Aiming a large-caliber weapons system takes a lot of force, meaning that high output is necessary to achieve rapid aiming. This expenditure of force derives from the weight of the weapon's pivoting assembly and increases with the distance of their center of gravity from their axis of rotation. When the weapon is aimed, accordingly, the gravity-dictated moment of weight, called the unbalance moment hereinafter and deriving from the weight of the pivoting assembly and the center-of-gravity distance, must be overcome.
Keeping the aiming mechanism and the requisite aiming output small by providing the weapons system with an unbalance-compensating device is known. This is in particular necessary when the output available to the aiming mechanism, the power on board a military tank for example, is limited or when the weapon must be aimed manually, in an emergency situation for example.
Unbalance-compensating devices that compensate the unbalance moment with suspension systems, mechanical suspension cylinders for example, are known. A severe drawback of such suspension systems is that, since their stroke is very long, especially at a wide aiming angle, they occupy a lot of space.
Also known from German OS 3 642 628 is an unbalance-compensating device that converts the unbalance moment into a pressure that acts in a hydropneumatic-reservoir system. The mechanism that converts the unbalance moment is a hydraulic rotating cylinder. Its drive shaft is rotationally coupled to the weapon's pivoting assembly. At least one of the compression-liquid connections communicates by way of a hydraulic system with a hydraulic reservoir.
This system as well occupies a comparatively large volume of space and is fairly expensive in that it involves a hydraulic system that comprises a series of controls, valves, and similar components.